I had gone to the festival to see a film about a young offenders’ facility in Iran and an inmate who was deaf.

Before the film began, a woman stood at the front of the theatre with a microphone and began talking. Unfortunately, she had not turned on the microphone and we couldn’t hear her. Audience members shouted to her to turn it on. She told us that the film we were about to see was shot in Tehran where, she said, you can get wonderful food.

After she had left centre-stage and turned off the microphone, she stopped at the side aisle of the theatre and said “Oh, I almost forgot. Before you see that film, there’s a seventeen-minute short.” Then she found a seat and sat down.

The short was a very poignant film about a teenager whose heart is broken by her best friend who sadly underestimated the depth of her emotions.

Thus, the introductions to both films were perfect. We couldn’t hear the words about the deaf boy and the short film was almost completely overlooked.

*****

Image sources: Tehran Times and Morelia Film Festival